1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector terminal including an elastic contact piece provided with a part projecting out of a body of thereof when the connector terminal is inserted into a housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known connector terminal includes an elastic contact piece with a part (a contact part) projecting out of a body thereof when the connector terminal is inserted into a terminal space formed in a housing. The connector terminal contacts another terminal through the part of the elastic contact piece projecting out of the terminal body. The connector terminal is, however, accompanied with the following problems. First, the part may be damaged and/or deformed when a cable is compressed onto the connector terminal to be fixed to the connector terminal. Second, the part may be grazed with an inner surface of the terminal space to be damaged when the connector terminal is inserted into the terminal space.
FIG. 32 is a perspective view of a connector disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2598581 with a partial cross-sectional view thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 32, a spring 1003 is housed in a box 1004 to be protected when a terminal 1001 has not been yet inserted into a connector housing 1016. And then, the terminal 1001 is inserted thereinto, a sliding portion 1008 of the spring 1003 slides along a tapered guide surface, and is pressed by a pressing projection 1021 to be lifted up. Thus, a contact part 1010 of the spring 1003 projects out of the box 1004 through an opening 1011.
The spring 1003 is neither damaged nor deformed when a cable is compressed onto and thus fixed to the terminal 1001 or when the terminal 1001 is inserted into the connector housing 1016. The connector provides enhanced reliability to electrical connection between the terminal 1001 and another terminal (not illustrated) through the contact part 1010.
In the connector illustrated in FIG. 32, the spring 1003 is wholly lifted up by the projection 1021 when the terminal 1001 is inserted into the connector housing 1016. The spring 1003 is fixed at a proximal end thereof to the box 1004 by collapsing a piece 1007 to thereby fix the spring 1003 onto the box 1004. Thus, the spring 1003 is supported by the box 1004 in a canti-lever. Consequently, the connector is accompanied with a problem that the spring 1003 cannot have a sufficient spring length, and hence, when the contact part 1010 of the spring 1003 projects out of the opening 1011 of the box 1004 to contact another terminal, the spring 1003 may be plastically deformed, resulting in that there cannot be ensured a sufficient contact pressure between the spring 1003 and another terminal.